For those on the Gold Coast of Australia, this coming Sunday is a very special day. In 2018, the Queen’s Commonwealth Games will be held on this coast; and Sunday is the day when the Queen’s Baton will finally be revealed at a gala event to officially 500 days until the start of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

For almost a year, this baton has been a well-kept and guarded secret. Other than its designers, Alexander Wall and Warren Schroder, the 1800 special guests at the gala will be the first to see the baton. The team sketched, modelled and researched many options for this iconic representation of the Queen’s Commonwealth Games.

According to Mr. Wall, the team used several representations of man-made and natural attributes unique to the Gold Coast.

He said: “It’s not really one geographical feature or anything – how can I describe it without describing it?

“It’s not particular thing, it’s an overall story – it’s memorable.

“You’ll be able to draw a picture of the Gold Coast baton.”

He said the 2018 baton features an “experience” but he couldn’t go in to further detail as to what that exact experience would be. However, the curious won’t need to wait too long, as the baton’s design and travel itinerary will be revealed this weekend.

Mr Schroder is looking forward to finally having the opportunity to discuss the baton’s design that the team felt so honoured to work on for these many months. He isn’t expecting any backlash from their work, but he told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “Our work is critiqued all the time – it’s a creative process.”

For previous Commonwealth games, each baton had something unique. The baton for the 2006 Melbourne games contained LED lights. And the baton for the 2014 games in Glasgow had a detachable curling puck that was given as a gift to every nation the baton passed through.

The Commonwealth Games 2018 Baton relay will be the longest yet. It will remain in communities after leaving Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day on 13, March 2017. Thousands of baton bearers will be needed to step in during the relay.

During the Opening Ceremony in two years time, a member of the Royal Family will remove a message from the baton written by Her Majesty. The message, which usually encourages the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in the spirit of ‘peaceful and friendly competition’ will be read.